Hijra and transgender population to be mapped

An interesting news caught my eyes and I thought of sharing it. Chennai-based National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), part of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), is looking for research agencies that can carry out ‘mapping and size estimation’ survey of hijra (eunuchs) and other transgender population in India. The survey will be carried out in 17 states. While NIE will monitor the survey, it will be supported by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO).

The results of the survey will help NACO’s national programme to expand its prevention and care services and social protection programs for this community, which has been ignored for long. Having said that, NACP did have a target intervention and prevention strategy for men having sex with men. But this program has been operating largely on guesstimate figures, rather than the apex authority actually conducting a proper survey.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court had asked Union government to provide the number of homosexual or LGBT (Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) population in India. What triggered this reaction was to find the number of HIV infected people among this group. One of the media reports on this –TOI.

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